Blossoming
by lairen
Summary: The tenderness of childhood. A blossoming of feelings.
1. Wondering

_Note: These were originally written for and posted to the **30_kisses** community on LJ. Reposting because I wanted to make coherent the timeline of these stories._

**Disclaimer:** _Bleach_ is owned by Kubo Tite and affiliated corporations.

**Spoilers:** Read at your own risk.

**Theme from 30_kisses:** 01 (look over here)

**i. age five**

The first time Ichigo Kurosaki invited his sparring partner Tatsuki Arisawa to his house, he was five years old and desperately trying to best her at least once in a sparring match. His attempts had been miserable failures, each one ending with him flat on his back and Tatsuki laughing above him.

"You're going to have to get stronger if you want to protect your mom," she said after the tremors in her body ceased. She offered him a hand and helped him to his feet. "Stop crying!" she scolded, glancing at the other students gathering their bags in preparation of being picked up by their parents. "You'll get stronger... someday."

Ichigo sniffed and wiped at his eyes. "Ya think so?" he whispered cautiously, as if her answer could very well cause him to unleash another flood of tears.

"Sure." She eyed his running nose and tear-streaked cheeks with mild disgust. "Now wipe your face and go get your stuff. I'll meet you by the door." And with that demand - she never _asked _him to do _anything_ - Tatsuki hurried off to get her things, leaving Ichigo alone in the middle of the dojo.

_Tatsuki-chan is cool, _thought Ichigo with a smile as he watched her gather her things. He was about to do as she had commanded when he spied Ohno-kun slowly approaching Tatsuki.

Ichigo stilled, his feet suddenly glued to the floor. Ohno-kun was one of the more popular boys in the class - and the only one who didn't seem to mind losing to Tatsuki.

Other boys called her names behind her back, but Ohno-kun was constantly in awe of her, asking her to help with some of the trickier moves, seeking her advice whenever he felt as if he failed to properly execute a move.

But he never spoke to her after class, at least, not without Ichigo being present.

He took a step in their direction but stopped when Ohno-kun tapped Tatsuki on her shoulder.

Ichigo's eyes widened then narrowed. _Was she... she couldn't be...._ He gasped in shock.

Tatsuki was _blushing!_

Tatsuki _never _blushed!

Not even when everyone - Mother, Father, sensei, strangers - complimented her skills.

His shoulders fell, and he became even more depressed when she nodded eagerly at something Ohno-kun said to her and reached into her bag and removed a pen and piece of paper. She scribbled something on it before handing the paper to Ohno-kun.

Ohno-kun bowed deeply. "Thank you, Arisawa-san."

Tatsuki returned the bow.

Ohno-kun ran off toward the door, tossing Ichigo a quick wave before disappearing out the door.

Stunned by what he had just witnessed, Ichigo turned around and shuffled to the other side of the dojo to prepare his things. By the time he was finished, Tatsuki was standing near the doorway waiting for him, the pink in her cheeks still lingering.

They waited for their rides in silence. When the curiosity could no longer be repressed, Ichigo asked, "What did Ohno-kun want?"

Tatsuki flushed. "Nothing."

"What did you give him?"

"My number."

"Oh."

Silence descended upon the pair, an unwelcome and unusual guest. They never had any problem talking, whether it was about something as stupid as what they had for breakfast or about the latest maneuvers they had learned in the dojo that day.

Tatsuki sighed. "He invited me to his house next weekend."

Ichigo scowled, kicking at a twig, wishing it was Ohno-kun. "Why?"

Tatsuki remained silent until their parents picked them up.

That night, Ichigo thundered into his parents' bedroom and begged that Tatsuki be invited over next weekend.

His mother tilted her head to the side, studying him mutely, her lips pursed.

His father, on the other hand, grinned broadly, swept Ichigo off the floor, and hugged his son tightly to his chest.

"THAT'S MY BOY!" he bellowed without concern for Ichigo's hearing. "GOING TO COURT TATSUKI-CHAN! THEY GROW UP SO FAST, MASAKI!"

"MOM!" screamed Ichigo, his arms flailing, his legs kicking. "TELL HIM TO LET ME GO!"

"Isshin," said Masaki, gently prying Isshin's arms from around Ichigo. Their son fell to the ground and darted behind his mother's legs. He peered up at her with a pleading look that erased the worry lines that had appeared in her face. She smiled at him, a beautiful, gentle smile that made the room and his father disappear.

She bent down and placed a kiss on his forehead. "I'll call Tatsuki-chan's mother tomorrow, okay?" Ichigo beamed. "Run along and take your bath. I'll be in later to tuck you in."

Ichigo raced to his bedroom to get his things for his bath. He paid no attention to the hushed whispers going on behind his parents' closed bedroom door.

* * *

The next day, nothing had changed. Tatsuki was still the best in the class; Ichigo was still lying on his back at the end of the day.

Sensei ended class, and the children took off again from the center of the dojo, whispers and laughter echoing in the room, a welcome distraction from the worrisome voices in his head.

He looked around for Tatsuki. She was gathering her bag. He started for her but stopped abruptly when he spied Ohno-kun heading toward her.

He remained in the middle of the dojo, once more an unwanted viewer to the happenings going on in front of him.

_Look over here._

The words settled in his mouth, too big and too heavy to escape pass his lips. Miserable, Ichigo watched as Ohno sneaked something into Tatsuki's hand. The dark-haired boy hurried off, waving excitedly at her over his shoulder. Tatsuki remained planted near the wall, her fingers unfolding the paper, her cheeks reddening as her eyes scanned the paper.

Hastily she refolded the paper and shoved it into her pockets.

Ichigo couldn't help it. The corners of his mouth turned down; his bottom lip began trembling. Before he could stop it - before he could turn around to prevent her from seeing it - his eyes filled with tears.

Ohno-kun was going to take away his Tatsuki-chan! _She was his._ She chose him, after all, that very first day when the other students were too busy talking about his weird hair and making fun of the habitual tears he shed.

"Ready to go?"

Ichigo yelped and spun around. "T-Tatsuki-chan...." He furiously wiped at his eyes, but stopped once he realized that she wasn't looking at him. Dejected, he trudged to gather his things, his eyes and throat burning.

Once they were outside, Ichigo asked, "What's with you and Ohno-kun?"

Tatsuki didn't even flinch. "Nothing. He wants me to spar with him on the weekends."

Ichigo looked at her suspiciously. "That's it?"

"Andhelikesme."

"What?"

Tatsuki kicked at a twig on the sidewalk and said, "And he likes me."

Ichigo glared daggers at his friend.

Something would have to be done.


	2. Sparring

**Disclaimer:** _Bleach_ is owned by Kubo Tite and affiliated corporations.

**Spoilers:** Read at your own risk.

**Theme from 30_kisses:** 06 (the space between dream and reality)

**ii. age six**

Ichigo didn't mean to cry every time she hit him, but her punches _hurt_. The other boys thought it weird he only cried when Tatsuki hit him, and he tried to explain that her punches were a lot harder than theirs, but they dismissed his explanations with disdainful sneers and jokes made at his expense.

He always sought her out afterwards, hoping to find comfort, but though she loudly threatened to beat up any students that messed with him, she never followed through with it, and so Ichigo walked away from her with the impression that she too was laughing at him, just not to his face like the other kids.

* * *

Then he would wake up and prepare for school, dejected, his emotions riding on the world's loopiest roller coaster as he wavered between asking his mother for permission to drop out of the classes (no more stupid boys making fun of his hair or teasing him about his tears) and going because seeing her was the best part of his day.

But when he stepped inside the dojo and saw his tormentors sporting shiners, Ichigo forgot about his nightmares, his insecurities dwindling as his smile widened to mirror hers.

* * *

As they sparred she tossed out bits of wisdom, and he soaked it all in despite her advice _always _contradicting his mother's.

He did so because she was stronger, louder, and could beat up most of the kids in the dojo.

Like always, she told him he shouldn't cry because boys weren't supposed to cry.

Like always, he pointed out that she was the only girl in the class, and that he thought girls were supposed to play with dolls and make-up and dress up in their mother's clothes -

_POW!_

Those punches hurt more than any he received from his bullies.

And though he would never tell anyone, Ichigo thought those punches the best.

Because after flattening him she would look down at him with the strangest look in her eyes, and Ichigo would redden under the intensity of her gaze.

He wasn't sure why - and he would never ask - the compulsion to press his lips against hers was strongest when that happened.


	3. Huddle

**Disclaimer:** _Bleach_ is owned by Kubo Tite and affiliated corporations.

**Spoilers:** Read at your own risk.

**Theme from 30_kisses:** 08 (our own world)

**iii. age seven**

To escape they huddled in a hut formed by two large bushes in the back of his yard. Their branches sprouted thick leaves and fragrant flowers, curving and stretching until they formed a roof dense enough to shield them from sun, wind, rain, and snow.

The area underneath was small but large enough to comfortably hold the two of them if they pulled their legs to their chests and kept their arms against their sides. They couldn't move much, but they had their own world free from the hurtful words of the students at the dojo and the prying eyes of ghosts that only he could see.

Today the atmosphere in their hidden world was different. Tatsuki sat next to him, silent and foreboding. She was unmindful of the unspoken questions that shone in his eyes, and he feared that perhaps today's events had hurt her more deeply than she had let on.

Some students at the dojo had been particularly harsh, their words affecting Tatsuki in a way that she could not casually dismiss or retaliate against with punches. This worried him because whether it was with words or fists, Tatsuki would have taken care of the problem, but today she had merely asked if she could come over and hide with him, and as always he had said yes, because there was no better company than hers.

Crouching against her in the bushes, Ichigo was unsure as to how he could make her feel better. His mother would bake him chocolate chip cookies and hug him, kiss him on his head and tell him that she loved him. But he couldn't do that for Tatsuki. She had wanted neither cookies nor candy, and she had staunchly refused to walk through his house lest his parents saw them, so she had sneaked around to the back while he had ran through his house, shedding his karate stuff as he did so, and hurried out back to the bushes.

Now he was sitting in a silence he didn't know how to end, tracing his name in kanji in the dry dirt.

Suddenly, a light bulb turned on in his head, and he dropped the stick onto the ground, wrapped an arm around her shoulders, and pulled her closer to him.

He kissed her cheek, then pulled back to give her a sunny smile.

It faded when he realized she looked absolutely horrified.

There was a pause in both their breathing as he watched hopefully. Her reaction wasn't what he had expected, but maybe it had done the trick –

_WHAM!_

"STUPID ICHIGO!" she wailed before crawling out of their hideout. "STUPID PERVERT!"

Ichigo was too stunned to move or bawl.


	4. Koi

**Disclaimer:** _Bleach_ is owned by Kubo Tite and affiliated corporations.

**Spoilers:** Read at your own risk.

**Theme from 30_kisses:** 09 (dash)

**iii. age eight**

"I won! I won!"

Ichigo jumped up and down, pumping his fist in the air with each exclamation. His mother gathered him in her arms and kissed the top of his head, and he returned her hug fiercely, disengaging from her embrace as soon as the person monitoring the booth finished bagging his prize.

"Here ya go, kid." The old man handed Ichigo his fish. To the young boy's mother he said, "You have a very talented little boy. His first try, and he gets a fish!"

She bowed deeply, the blush on her cheeks a sign that she was pleased and embarrassed by the compliment. "Thank you." She placed a hand on the back of Ichigo's head and encouraged him forward. "Come, let's show Tatsuki-chan what you won."

Ichigo darted out of her grasp, but before his mother could scold him he was back at her side, his tiny hand sliding into hers, clutching her fingers. In his other he clutched the bag tightly, as if it were a slippery fish threatening to wiggle out of his grasp. "I want to play that one!"

"We'll come back after the fireworks. Right now, you and Tatsuki-chan need to eat."

Ichigo remembered that she had packed his favorite dango. He increased his pace, but was mindful not to walk too fast, as his mother was taking her time admiring the many booths lining the pathway.

They finally arrived at the blanket his dad had set out. He had found the best spot near the lake, underneath a large tree whose dense foliage provided perfect shade from the relentless sun.

His dad was talking to Tatsuki's parents. Ichigo paused at the edge of the blanket, perplexed. "Where's Tatsuki-chan?"

Her dad jerked his thumb over his shoulder. "She's over there watching a puppet show."

Ichigo took off, barely heeding his mother's call for him to be careful. He ran as fast as his short legs could carry him, his eyes nervously scanning the crowd of kids who sat, mesmerized, at the show taking place on the wooden stage.

When he finally spied Tatsuki's bright red kimono, he dashed toward her, disregarding that she was standing far away from the crowd with a frown on her face.

"Look what I won!" he said happily, holding up the fish for her to see.

Her mouth dropped. "You won that?"

He held it higher so she could inspect the tiny fish closely. "Yep! On my first try!"

"You're lucky," she said grumpily, folding her arms across her chest. "I played ten times and got nothing."

He held it out to her. "You want?"

She blinked. "You're giving that to me?"

He struggled to keep the blush at bay. "Sure. I mean, you've always wanted a pet. And since your mom's allergic to cats, and your dad's allergic to dogs –"

"But you won it!"

He thrust it at her. "And I want you to have it."

She slowly unfolded her arms and took the fish from him. Unlike him, she was unable to prevent a blush from creeping up her neck and spreading across her cheeks. "I'll take good care of him, and you can come by any time to visit him."

For a moment, Ichigo thought she was going to kiss him just like his mom had.

He was surprised that such a thought did not bother him.

Then the moment passed; the blush faded from her face.

She bowed. "Thank you, but this doesn't mean I'm going to go easy on you at the dojo."


End file.
